10th November 2001

Concern over biodiversity

The Forest Service guidelines on biodiversity, published over a year ago, will be strictly implemented for the first time in the current planting season. On sites exceeding 10 hectares (25 acres), approximately 15 % must comprise either open space or retained habitats. Five to 10 %of the overall total should be devoted to each.

Concern has been voiced over this issue, partly because there was an assumption that newly planted broadleaf areas would qualify as satisfying the biodiversity criteria, but this is not the case. In order to clarify what this means let's take the example of a forestry application for 100 acres, made up of 10 % broadleaves, 20 % diverse conifers and 70 % Sitka. Fifteen acres will be devoted to biodiversity, leaving 85 acres available for new planting.

So you will end up with 8.5 acres of broadleaves, 17 acres of diverse conifers and 59.5 acres of Sitka. It is being argued that the area of each plantation devoted to commercial forestry is dwindling all the time. The forestry grant is on a cost basis so it will cover the 85 acres planted and any costs involved in relation to the 15 acres devoted to biodiversity. The forestry premium will be paid on the full 100 acres.